On January 3, Josep Borrell, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, engaged in discussions with Radoslaw Sikorski, the Polish Foreign Minister, regarding the escalation of military aid to Ukraine. This conversation particularly focused on the provision of missile supplies, underscoring the EU’s commitment to bolster Ukraine’s defense capabilities amidst ongoing conflicts. The dialogue between Borrell and Sikorski reflects a concerted effort within the EU to enhance support for Ukraine, aligning with broader international strategies to address the crisis.
“We agreed on the need to enhance our military support to Ukraine, including with long range and anti aircraft missiles,” he wrote on the social network X.
Good discussion with FM Poland @sikorskiradek. We shared increasing concerns over intensified Russian air attacks against Ukraine civilian infrastructure.
We agreed on the need to enhance our military support to Ukraine, including with long range and anti aircraft missiles.
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) January 3, 2024
As Borrell noted, the parties also discussed strengthening measures to combat the circumvention of anti-Russian sanctions. He argued that a “substantial increase in European exports” to third countries could be re-exported to Russia.
Earlier today, Sikorsky urged Western nations to supply Ukraine with advanced long-range missiles, enabling Kyiv to target sites within Russian territory. Reacting to this proposal, Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, warned that such arms provisions would essentially turn against the donor countries themselves.
Meanwhile, Anton Hofreiter, head of the German Bundestag’s European Affairs Committee, alongside Norbert Röttgen, the Christian Democratic Union’s foreign policy representative, advocated for the delivery of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. Hofreiter acknowledged Germany’s substantial contributions to Kyiv’s air defense capabilities but emphasized the need for further action.
On January 2, Bridget Brink, the US Ambassador to Ukraine, disclosed that the US had granted the Ukrainian Armed Forces the autonomy to decide the extent of strikes using the HIMARS Multiple Launch Rocket System. However, there is currently no evidence suggesting that Ukraine will receive HIMARS ammunition capable of exceeding a 160 km range. The longer-range ATACMS missiles are cited as a reference.
That same day, Marie-Agnès Strack-Zimmermann, chair of the Bundestag Defense Committee, pressed the German government to expedite the transfer of Taurus missiles to Kyiv. She cautioned that without such action, pledges of sustained support for Ukraine would ring hollow. Echoing this sentiment, Sarah Nanni, a security policy expert from the Soyuz-90/Greens faction, also made a similar appeal.
Concurrently, Oleg Starikov, a retired Colonel of the Ukrainian Security Service, reported that Russia is allegedly developing a robust satellite network over Ukraine. This advancement could potentially enable the interception of all Western missile systems used by the Ukrainian military. Starikov noted that Russian forces, equipped with missile launch detection technology, could effectively counter HIMARS, ATACMS, and Taurus missiles.
On December 12, Politico reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during his US visit, requested longer-range ATACMS missiles for Kyiv. These missiles vary in range, with some models capable of reaching distances between 165 and 300 km.
On October 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the additional threat posed by potential ATACMS deliveries to Ukraine but expressed confidence in Russia’s defensive capabilities.
A day earlier, on October 17, the White House confirmed the transfer of 165 km range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine. Simultaneously, the Pentagon remained non-committal on the possibility of further ATACMS shipments to Kyiv.
These developments occur against the backdrop of escalating Western military and financial support for Kyiv, following Russia’s special operation to protect Donbass.
